I had thought the noxious smell of burning rubber came with a grimy truck that we passed and my parents didn't smell anything so I just ignored it (mistake!). We were off to Raven's Roost, a scenic sunset spot on the Blue Ridge, packed with chicken, asparagus, pasta, a cleo salad from Bodos, and fresh watermelon.

I was going on about something deep and meaningful when our car began to, well, rattle. An awful metallic beat accompanied a disturbing lopsided dance our car seemed to be doing. A very flat back tire. We got off 250 at Ivy, hoping to make it to the filling station, but the sound was just too hideous, so we pulled over in the turning lane onto St. Annes - Belfield driveway. The rim wasn't bent yet, thankfully.

Well, we had no clue what we were doing.

We did have a nice spare tire and jack, which we got out in no time. The trouble was: where to put the jack? There we were, sticking our heads under our vehicle right next to the traffic that was speeding by. I was beginning to wonder if we would ever get to the mountains, when somebody stopped to help us. Maybe he would know what he was doing!

In no time, he had it jacked up, and was taking off the bolts. Then two cops showed up to make sure we didn't get run over -- which was a good thing, because there was one bolt that was a devil to get off. Our good Samaritan eventually managed it with his superior strength :).

So here's a big thanks to Pat Janzen, the Rock-n-Roll Landscaper. He is very strong, very friendly, and who could pass up a title like that? You can look him up at www.therocknrolllandscaper.com, or give him a call at (434) 974-4969. And we made it to the blueridge in time for a spectacular sunset! Peace to everybody! (Hoy Loper, July 8, 2004)